Among the Souls
by NessiexCullen
Summary: Rosemarie is trapped human in a soul society, and she's always been the outcast. With each choice tangled in another, how will she end up?
1. Chapter 1

**Rosemarie POV**

Flowing brown hair, covering my neck, covering a scar I should have. Sparkling green eyes, eyes with no hint of sliver beneath them. Was it sane to say that I would trade my soul to be one? I was an outcast in the society of souls. I could act like one, be as kind, gentle, but I was still an alien among them, still would wither away and die, unlike them. They, the seekers at least, wanted me to turn into a soul, but my parents, yes my biological parents, wanted to keep me human. Well, until I was an adult at least. They wouldn't win the fight forever. I stared into my reflection, picking at every minor imperfection.

"Rosemarie?" My mother, Glimmer Through the Glass asked.

"Coming," I called back down. I glanced at my hair for a moment, hooked a swinging lock of hair behind my ear, and headed downstairs.

The kitchen was small, almost a kitchenette, because my parents insisted that because of their lack of cooking interests or skills, they didn't need a fancy one. They never really hosted parties either; I guessed it was because of me. The souls always acted and were polite, but I thought they were afraid with a human among them. Not that I minded that much, I was used to it. Used to kindness I would never completely have, used to all the souls changing bodies when they got too old, and used to pulling out my ID when one soul guessed I was human.

"Morning," I greeted.

My dad, Paul, he took his name from his host, lifted his gray head from the newspaper and smiled.

"Good morning," He said enthusiastically.

I turned to the stove to pick up the kettle. I washed it under the sink and poured tap water into it, then putting it back on. Carefully, I turned on the lighter, and watched the flame roar up beneath the kettle, burning it without any touch.

"Careful," My mom warned, entering the kitchen.

I nodded and reached for a mug. I placed a teabag in it- tea being my favorite drink.

Mom nearly shoved a plate in my face as I turned back around to face the table. "Have a muffin," she said.

I picked a blueberry muffin off the plate themed with flowers and took a bite. "Thanks," I said. "Can you keep an eye on the stove while I watch the news?"

Both their reactions was nearly the same and in the same moment. "Sure," they both shrugged.

I pointed to the stove and walked out into the connected family room. Again, that was small too, because we hardly ever watched TV. It was too boring for my taste, though I never said that out loud, and like life itself. I almost wished TV was… dramatic. I flipped on the news, something I hardly watched, but I wanted to see who won the women and men marathon race for the Olympics last night.

The news hadn't switched to sports yet. A stiff yet smiling man in his late 20's had a couple pieces of paper in his hand, reading off it. "So thanks to many kind people, including Teadle, we have officially ended world hunger." He said, pausing to glance down to read the next few lines. "In other news…" He frowned. As his pause lengthened, his frown got no better, if anything, deeper. Odd. "Disappearances all over the west coast have been reported lately. This includes in Arizona , Nevada , New Mexico , Utah , and Colorado."

I fidgeted in my seat nervously. _We_ lived in Utah. I wanted to shut off the screen, but I couldn't, I had to watch his frowning lips move.

"Disappearances have been anything from hikers in the desert to souls gardening in front of their own homes and over a time period of 6 or 7 years, starting with the first disappearance of a soul named Wanderer, on her way to a healing factory, once believed to have died in an accident while amidst hiking." The man continued, "Now, seekers are suggesting, no not suggesting, _certain, _that humans -" He squeaked at the words and the rest of his report was in a soft whisper that sounded horrified. "Are hiding and _kidnapping_, yes kidnapping, souls!" He squeaked again in fright. I was surprised he wasn't hiding under the table.

I shut off the TV. I didn't want to hear any more. Humans were still living? I thought…besides a couple of humans who may be living in soul society like me, they were all dead, gone, washed away as hosts. I shook the thought out of my head, if they were _kidnapping_ souls, they were barbarians. Not like me, nothing like me.

"What was on the news?" My mom asked when I entered the kitchen.

I didn't answer right away, instead walked over to the stove. I shut off the flame under the kettle even though it wasn't done yet.

"Souls are disappearing," I croaked. "Humans in hiding are kidnapping them."

They both looked at me for a minute, puzzled I expected, and then their eyes widened. I heard my dad gasp.

"Are, are you serious?" The question came out tangled.

I nodded in response to whoever asked the question. I let my head droop, and bang the table as I sat down.

"It's like turning back into when humans messed up this planet!" My dad cried. "We can't even cleanse their planet without them protesting!"

Mom glanced at me, gentler than before. My dad did too. Great, now that I was human, were they going to _cleanse_ me as well?

"I'm not them," I said stubbornly. "I'm…different."

"Of course not," My mom said quickly. Then she changed the subject, "Your birthday is next week, what do you want for turning 14?"

I signed, "It doesn't matter. I don't really care what you give me."

"You only turn 14 once," My mom said softly.

Oh did I ever know that.


	2. Chapter 2

"Flames," I said. "Could you do me a favor and tell my parents that I don't want anything for my birthday when they come in?"

I was standing in a little shop and next to a young 16 year old. Flames, his shortened name, was my best friend, my only friend, and right now, he was on break from his job, relaxing in the back corner of the shop with a cup of hot chocolate – a year round drink for him.

"Why?" He asked. "You'll know they'll get you something anyway."

I signed and tugged on my ponytail. Leaning against the shelf, I pulled my hair out of its band, letting the ponytail fly out in its natural wave.

"I know," I said. "But can you try to lead them in the opposite direction?"

"What?" He said, staring at me curiously. "For a human, you can be so strange. What's not to like about a birthday?"

"The fact that I'm the only one that's going to be turning 14 once," I blurted out.

Flames winced then frowned, "That doesn't matter."

"Yes it does…" I said without any confidence in my voice.

There was a long pause, followed by a ring of the door. Customer, I supposed. I reached for my hair and started to put it back in a ponytail.

"Hello?" A small voice said.

Flames rose from leaning against the wall and set his cup down. He then straightened out his uniform shirt and walked from the back corner, "I'm here. Is there anything you had your eye on?"

I waved a good bye and fled from the store in a small jog. As I made my way out, I slowed to a walk, making sure not to attract stares.

I couldn't get a driver's license yet, my parents wanted to keep the 16 aged rule for me, so I usually walked everywhere or took the metro. I decided I wanted to be alone, so I walked the long walk home.

It always frightened me for no apparent reason when I passed the police station. I knew it was silly, the souls were there to protect me, no to harm me. But I still had nightmares that they were going to take me away. But it came as a shock and I nearly fainted when I saw a police car – sirens shut off – in my parent's driveway.

I stared at it for a while. What were seekers doing here? Had there been an accident of some kind? Curious, I didn't approach the front door, but went into the back door.

I was in the family room, a closed off area where the back door had lead me. It was almost closed off, so I was invisible.

Voices came in from the kitchen, four of them.

"Ah, Paul, Glimmer Through the Ice?" A male voice asked.

It sounded as if the visitors had just come.

"I thought we told you on the phone…" My mother started.

"We thought if it was best if we came to you in person," A woman voice interrupted quickly.

"I'm not sure that my decision has changed," My mom said coldly.

I peeked from over the wall to see my dad and mom on one end facing two seekers. I saw my dad wrap his arm around my mom's waist.

"Honey, just let them talk." My dad soothed her. He looked at the seekers, "Do you want to discuss this at the table? Would you like a beverage?"

"Certainly, but no thank you for a drink," The male voice said.

I took my head down, so they couldn't see me. I heard scraping of chairs, them taking up the space of the three person table.

"Now, I know we talked about this one the phone, and you were very…firm, about all this. But we do feel strongly on this subject." The male seeker said.

"The child has to go," The female seeker added.

My body went cold. The child had to be me. I was the youngest of thousand year old people. I bit my lip; anxious. It was an unusual emotion for me.

My mother's voice came out next as a whisper, "no."

"It's a danger," The female seeker insisted.

They wanted to get rid of me, because I wasn't them. I didn't belong here, and I frightened everyone. Had the humans in hiding forced them to this? Did they know I was not turn as barbaric?

"What my partner means is," My dad said, trying to make peace, as usual. "We love Rosemarie, and we doubt she's a danger. Now, we know her best, and we think that…"

"We're doing what's best for the community," The male seeker said softly.

There was a long pause. I didn't breathe, thoughts running through my head. Where would I go? I had no one, no place but here.

"Look," Said the female seeker. I had heard that souls sometimes pick up characteristics from their hosts, and I'd bet her host had been an angry type of person. "She's human, she's a danger, and it's such a waste to leave her be like this! Humans, no matter if you love them or not, are vile, destructive aliens, she's no different."

A gasp and a little cry which I assumed was from my mom were followed by a pause that seemed to last forever. The pause was only a heartbeat, but it meant everything.

"Call us tomorrow," The male voice finally spoke.

There wasn't any more conversation, and I barely heard their footsteps and the shy door opening and closing; all I heard was my heart stopping then racing. Then, I hid in my spot for a couple of minutes; it would look suspicious if I "arrived" home just as the seekers were leaving. I felt guilty for lying too, but I wasn't about to jump up from my spot and scream, "Yay! I heard the whole conversation!"

I finally got up and snuck out the back door again, coming through the front after giving a quick tap on the door. I had a signature knock; a couple quick raps on the door followed by a slow little knock to let my parents know it was me.

"Hello, Rosemarie," My mom said. She was still at the table with a cup of tea in her hands. She looked tired and weary, like she had been working long and hard all day.

"Hey mom," I replied. "What are you doing?"

I didn't expect an _"Oh you know, I just talked to some seekers about your future. They want to either kill you or turn you into a host."_ But I wasn't expecting her next reply; "Nothing."

Her lie was so obvious. Any fool could've seen through it.

"Oh," I said. I reacted to her false note automatitly, it didn't matter that I was lying too. I concentrated on my poker face.

"How about your day?" She asked me, "Good or bad?"

I shrugged, it was easier to lie with body language, and even with voices in my head screaming at me that this was very, very bad and I shouldn't be lying. "I mostly hung out with Flames."

It was fairly true, and the lie came out as the truth would sound. I was a better liar than I had thought I would be.

Mom set her eyes downward, "Oh him. Nice boy he is. Doesn't he work down at that little shop?"

I posted a concern and curious mask on my face, "Yes, it's for like, pet care or something. Are you sure there isn't something you need to _tell_ me?"

The last sentence came out in a rush. Did I want her to come out and tell me honestly that I was, certainly, in danger and I was only thirteen? Yes.

"What?" My mom said. "No, nothing at all."

I signed.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Well, I'm writing again. *Pauses while fans give cheer* Anyway, I do not own any of the 'Host' idea things – though the characters are mine. No stealing my characters! *Snatches them and hugs them to chest*_

That night, I was on my bed, flipping an old magic eight ball in my hands. They still hadn't announced my big future change, and it was annoying me.

"Magic eight ball, Magic eight ball, I said in a soft voice. "Will I become a host body? Yes or no."

I gave the small black ball a little shake and turned the answer part toward me to see what it had landed on. Regrettably it landed on something that read, _'sorry, ask me later'_. I groaned and asked the question again giving a harder shake this time, this time I read_ 'Busy right now'._ I let the ball roll onto the carpet with a soft thunk. Just put an out to lunch sign will you?

I wanted to know, what would it be like to be a host body? Then I thought more deeply into the question, if I didn't want to become a host body, I guess it was probably true for everyone with the same fate. Did that make the souls wrong? I was told my race was going to die out anyway, that it truly didn't matter. But did it? The souls had cleansed this planet, as with every other planet they had. I twisted, uncomfortable in my situation, not in my position on the bed.

"Rosemarie?" A voice asked, "dinner."

I sighed and headed downstairs.

While the dinner was nice, both my parents avoided my gaze and looked tired. Very tired. Finally I had enough and I set down my fork in mid-bite.

"Look, I already know about the seeker visit," I told them. "I'm sorry if I didn't tell you that I knew, but I do." My voice was getting rougher, so I took a deep breath and watched their faces change expressions – worse. "I know that they want to take me away…use me as a host."

My mom's face mourned, "I don't know what to do Rosemarie." She sighed and set her spoon down to look at me, her eyes filling with tears. "When I said I wanted to keep you, I just wanted a child, and I love you. The seekers were against that, but they handled it well and kept my wishes."

I tried to keep my face blank, like I was watching a movie, or it was someone else's life that was crashing, but it wasn't. "I'm sorry," I apologized.

"It's not your fault," My father spoke. His voice was rough too. "The seekers are just changin' their minds now that humans are running loose. It's dangerous, and they're taking precautions."

My face grew tearful, and I looked down, avoiding the gaze of them both, though there was no point, the wall of tears blurred my vision. "What do we do now?"

"I don't know, they said to call…" My mom gave a little cry. "Your birthday is next week and it's just…"

"Well, we'll talk to somebody. Maybe talk to a couple of seekers, try to convince them that your one of us, and you deserve to live like anyone of us."

"Expect that I'm not," I muttered. "The female seeker – she said I was a waste right? Like a soul should be inside me because it can?" I stopped, "no, I really shouldn't say that, but, you know."

The three of us mourned at the table for a minute, my dinner getting cold. Finally I sighed and said, "I'd better eat this I guess."

My mom caught my eye, "You'll have the best birthday, okay sweetie?" She paused, "I promise to try to save you. I really do."

I looked down and peeked at her once while I ate, did she mean it? Or did she secretly agree with the seeker?

When I was ready to go to bed, I already had a decision in my mind. I decided it didn't matter that I was going to turn fourteen in four days, or that my parents were going to fight with me to try to keep me out of danger. I was the one to make the final decision.

I decided it didn't matter if souls were wrong to take free will from my species because there really was no wrong or right in debate, and I couldn't do anything about it. Anyway, wasn't it safer if they had one less human to worry about? My decision was to turn me into a host body tomorrow.

Because, really, it was the only way.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: I do not own any of the Host characters_

I had gone out early without telling anyone. I felt guilty for it, but really, it wouldn't matter in a few hours. The hospital was a short walk away, but I took my time, trying to stretch it as much as I could. I had anything but time.

The hospital gloomed in front of me shining bright in front of the rising sun. I was the only one here besides the cars in the staff area and the one lonely car that was in the parked by the shuttles where they took souls to come back and forth from Earth.

I sighed and walked forward reaching the door of the hospital. Inside, I could see the nurses just hanging around, but prepping themselves with paperwork to at least do something. Health care was simple and easy; not much work. I wondered if they would be alarmed to see me, a human, asking to be a soul. It would be something for them to talk about at least.

I let my hand rest on the door handle, pausing. I wasn't being noble; I was just trying to make it all go _away._ Years of not fitting in caught up to me, causing me to make this decision. Then it all changed, just by turning my head.

Beside me were the shuttles with the chambers stacked up to go be shipped off to another planet. Often you saw volunteers or healers by those areas, dealing with the medicine or the souls. But I didn't think anyone worked this early or took cryotanks out of their vans or stole medicine. That's exactly what I saw though; a huge man – older than me – was quickly grabbing cryotanks and moving them out of the van in a rhymic motion. There was another – a girl, had to be only a couple years older than me, she was so small – grabbing the medicine that laid there, stuffing it in her backpack, obviously no thought had occurred to the person who set it down that someone would steal it.

I didn't know if they were more of them. I thought quickly back to the news I felt like I watched ages ago, about humans. I'd bet they were humans, but nothing like me. I ran forward, trying to get a better look anyway. _I'll get a nurse or someone after I just make sure_…. I promised this to myself. I was quiet, and it didn't matter anyway; they were trying to do this too quickly to notice me. I was a small, skinny, girl, not even a big threat.

I saw the little silver glow of souls trapped in the cryotanks, a strange man setting them there to be shipped off wherever. But if he was a human, wouldn't he be stuffing them _inside_ his van? To kill or kidnap or something? It didn't make sense. If he was so innocent then, he and his little girl wouldn't seem so sneaky or be stealing. Souls were innocent.

I argued in my head, watching them pack up, and then, finally, I stopped arguing. It was silent in my head, and outside of it – expecting nature's sounds and a couple of grunts – until I picked the worst time to speak. I didn't think to get a nurse before, I just said it.

Four little, oh-so important, words; "What are you _doing?_"

I saw the girl, who was stuffing the backpack into the front seat, give a loud yelp and nearly faint. The man looked surprised and he screamed incoherently – not out of fright, but like a command. The girl was pulling something out of her pocket, fumbling with it. The man looked frightened for her and in the second of panic I caused I understood he was trying to tell her to stop. Then his arm reached for mine, something in his hand.

"No!" I cried. What were they doing to me? Were they seekers too? I wanted to scream; _"No! I take it back! I don't want to become a soul, let my parents fight for me, please!"_

Smoke poured on my face. Everything was fuzzy….darkness….sleepiness….

How long was it? I heard sounds but I never knew where I was. "….can't be. She was there, _at the hospital_, she couldn't have been-" A male voice said.

"Human?" The other male asked. "Look for yourself. Her eyes are green, not silver, and she doesn't even have a scar on her neck."

A pause. "I think I know why she was in the area she was in, putting herself in danger like that." This voice was female, and it caught the attention of the other people – I could only hear though, I couldn't make my eyes work. "Seven years ago, when…when me and Wanda were on our first raid, we saw something. Two soul parents, and one human boy with them. I think that this girl is like that. She lives in the soul society. She's among the souls."

A longer pause. I tried to make my eyes work, but I still couldn't see. Oh gesh, this it was it like to be a host? No, no, no. Was I even still among the souls? I liked that term; _among the souls._ My mind drifted for a minute.

"I agree with that idea." The girl's voice was soft and quiet, as if she didn't want to much attention on her.

"So what do we do?"

"Take her to the caves? I guess she belongs there."

"Melanie just said she was among the souls."

"So? We can't let her go; we need to go to the caves."

Then my mind drifted once more, trying to make my eyes work. I think I fluttered them for a second, because I saw more lights. Lights.

"She's waking up," A voice hissed. "Use the sleep."

I drifted once more.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: I do not own any of the Host characters_

I couldn't really feel. All I saw was the red of the inside of my eyelids and the blackness of my mind. Panic seized me, but I couldn't move. I couldn't find my body or feel my fingers. Was I dead? I might be a soul, but I wasn't sure. I couldn't remember. I remember going to the hospital, but then there's a wall. A wall that I'm fighting though to get the memories I know are behind there.

The second that passed felt like forever, and I searched for a way to move my fingers. Finally I remembered, and felt them curl into a fist. A fist was unnecessary, violence was not the answer. I still kept it curled as I open my eyes.

When I opened them, it seemed like all of my senses jumped to life, taking in the new setting. I was lying down, on something bumpy that rocked back and forth unnaturally. I felt cloth under me. A bed? Maybe a cot, I wasn't sure. A musty old smell hit my nose, and my eyes adjusted to the limited light of the new area. A few lamps light up the area, and it reminded of a cave. At least, a cave with a few cots, medical supplies, and a desk inside.

"Where am I?" I croaked out loud.

My eyes wandered, and hit the face of an old man. He was pale, and white haired. He looked so frail and old with his skinny body. He stretched his wrinkled skin into a little smile, one that reminded me of some type of villain curious about its victim.

I cringed, "Who are you?" I asked. "Where am I?"

The man uncurled my fists, "People call me Doc." He said. I wanted to groan at this answer, the name wasn't really the answer I wanted. I wondered if I could scream and get help. "You're in caves. Don't worry, you're safe here."

Safe from what?

I hadn't realized I asked this question out loud until he answered it, "Safe from souls." He looked at me, puzzled written on his face this time.

"What?" I cried. "Get me out of here! You're those humans, aren't you? No, no, no!" I cringed.

I felt someone pin me down, for I think I was jerking in fright a little.

"Doc," The man said. The wall cleared a little, and I recognized this voice from the van. "Was that really the way to approach things?"

"Can I talk to her?" Another voice asked. I recognized this one too, and I turned my head to look beside me. The girl – even though she was probably only the age of 20 – was standing there, next to another large man, and I recognized them both

"You!" I cried, "You were the ones putting the cyrotanks by the shuttles and stealing medicine!"

"Shhhh," The man called Doc said. "Can you tell us your name?"

"Rosemarie," I hissed.

"Okay, Rosemarie, can you tell us what you were doing at the hospital? You were human at the time, so you might remember…"

I didn't answer at first, then I said, "To… get a," I stopped pausing. "I went out early, left my parents. If I don't come back, they'll find out, I left a note!"

They looked confused. "Your parents are in hiding too?"

This confused me, "No. I went to the hospital to get the…soul. I wanted to be a soul. Or a host, however you put it."

A short pause.

"Rosemarie," The blonde girl asked quietly. "Are you living with souls? Among them?" When I didn't respond, she continued, "Like…did your biological parents not make you a host?"

I nodded, wondering what this would have to do with anything.

"This will be hard to explain then," The first man who spoke said. "Okay, Rosemarie. We're all…mostly humans here. Like you. Expect we're in hiding. Look Rosemarie, being a host isn't the best opinion for you. You have to stay here."

The girl spoke again, a sad look crossing her face. "You would hate being a host."

"What do you mean by mostly human?" I asked.

"We do…" The man called Doc admitted, looking at the blonde girl. "Have a couple souls here, though their situation is different."

I looked into the man eyes and believed him. I was disoriented and everything was coming on too fast to make much sense of it. My brain was trying to make it all a long story short kind of thing. So, long story short, I was in caves. With humans, to keep away from souls. Which is their enemy – mine too I would guess now. I sighed at the complication of this.

"I have to go home," I muttered.

The doctor – he explained to me that doctors were the human version of healers – was giving me some medicine for my headache. This is when I said this, already in a dazed state.

"Home is where exactly?" He asked.

"Home," I said, kind of ignoring him. "I have to get back to my parents."

He pushed my head back to shine the flashlight in my eyes. I cringed, a reaction I usually did when sunlight hit my eyes, knowing they weren't silver. "Why did you want to be a host?"

"To be the same," I answered. "Plus, the seekers… they didn't like the fact that I was not a host."

Doc looked at me, eyebrows raised, and said, "well, then, I guess you should stay here then."

And when I did look at it – after taking the whole thing in (well, not the whole thing, Doc told me that I should spend a day in bed and then another man named Jeb could show me around) and getting out of my dazed state, I realized I should be here, in the caves, with the people my same species. I finally belonged, never mind the fact they stole. I grinned and closed my eyes. Home, I could get used to this.


End file.
